Improvement in cartridge-retractors for revolving fire-arms



W. CLEWS. tor for Revolving Fire-Arms IBGISZL vPatented Feb. 25,1873. I

Cartridge-Rattan .WL'tnesse's,

WILLIAIii oLnWs, or mien, new Yoshi.

IMPROVEMENT LN CARTRIDGE RETRMJTORS FOR REV EWING HliE-ARMS.

S ecification forming partof Letters Patent No. 13%,334, daterl February 25, 1873.

1 To all whom it ma y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CLnws, of Ilion, in the county of Herhimer and State of New York, have invented eerie-in .linprove merits in RQVOlVlHQl lIG-AUES; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and or;- act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification--- Figure 1 being a leftside View of e revolvin g-cylinrler pistol provided with my improve ments, showing the interior arrangement of the lock and its connections; Fig". 2, at rightside View of the same; Fig. 3, e transverse section thereof in e plane inriicaterl by the line .1: m, Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and 5, views or parts detached. I

Like letters (iesignnte corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The main feature of my invention consists in an improved certridgeshell retractor,whieh automatically withdraws the shells of the earirirlg'es as fast as exploded by the direct action of the hammer in cocking, the retrector being set free from the hammer and returning to position for the next retraction when the hammer reaches half'cook; and another featnrc consists in an improved means for turning the cylinder, so that it she'll not bring the shell of the lost-exploded certrirlge in the line of the retractor till the letter returns to position after withdrawing the previous shell.

in the drawing, let A represent the revolvin g cylinder of the fire-zirm, B the barrel, e-nrl U the hammer. In order to properly locate the parts composing my invention end'rencler their connection and o eretion convenient, I place the hammer at one side of the stool: and. bend .it latenlly, bringing the face or pointthereof in line with the barrel B and the ripier bore of the'cylineer A. The retra-otor D consists of e sliding piece with e hook orcntc'n, a, on the forward end to catch eronnri the linnge of the shell, so as to withdraw the same, which is done by a direct bacliwerllsliding movement of the rot-rector. This catch projects radially outward from the axis of the cylinder, anrlthe inner part b of the rear end of the cylinder cut away so as to form a recess to receive the said catch, this recess also cutiing into each bore of the cylinder, as shown, so that the catch may reach the flange of the cartridge-shell. The retractor is drawn backward by the direct action of the hemmenwith which it is coupled for the purpose, by means of e projection, c, on the retrector and. acoup ling-piled, on the hammer. The coupling-pin (1 slides ontwerri and inward in the hammer, and is pressed inward against it plate or scrfece, f, over which the projection c' of the trnctorslides, In the front edge of the pro- 7 jeotion c is an inclined surface, 9, Fig.4, so locarted that at or just before the moment when the hammer reaches half-cock the coupling-pin d, which bears against the front edge of the projection to drew the retract-or back, will reach the said inclineri surface by the circular movement ofthe-hemmer, and. will slideover the project-ion and allow the retractor to be driven iorwerrl into position for withdrawing the next shell b means of e s ,rin h 1 or its equivalent. The hammer and retractor are so arranged in connection that the cor triclgeshell is entirely withdrawn, so that it will fall from the nistol at or before the hamrner reeches half-cook, le ving theretrector free to spring forwerrh'nsebove specified. ()n the hack edge of the projection c is another inclined surface, i, over which the coupling: pin slirl'es in the forward movementot' the hammer at the discharge of the pistol, and ilins regains position in front of the said pro jection, ready to draw heel; the retroctor at the next lifting of the hammer, In order that the shell of the lostexploded cartridgemay not be in the way of the retractor in regaining position for the next retraction the cylinder shcnlrl not he tiirnerl, or fully turned to bring tiiesncceerling certrirlge into line witl1 the "barrel, till after the hammer passes half-cock.

I efl'ect this movemennenrl by means substantielly. as follows: in order to efiect the final turning of the cylinder as quickly as possible just before the hammer reaches full-cock it is desirable to orodnce Part-+333 cne-helf--of the turning movement as soon as the hammer reaches half-cock, and yet this cannot be done till after the retre'ctor withdraws its shell each time. I therefore produce the first partial turning of the cylinder by the forward movement of the retraetor. The device shown in 1 effects thispurpose. The pawl t, which takes into the notches m m of the cylinder, is pivoted to one end of a cam-lever, n, at p. The

- for taking into the next notch m of the cylinder. Then, as the retractor springs forward,

the stud r, bearing against the cam-surface of the lever, depresses that end, and thereby pushes the pawl I along, so as to partiall turn the cylinder, as required. The remain er of the turning movement of the cylinder is produced by the hammer 0 just before it reaches full-cock. For this purpose I employ a sliding dog or cylinder-lifter, t, situated substantially as shown in Fig. 1. Its forward end ispivoted to the pawl l at the cam lever pivot p, or

otherwise, and it is by its forward-sliding action that the said pawl is caused to complete the. turning movement of the cylinder. Its lower surface slides on a fixed stud, u, or the equivalent thereof, to keep it in position, and its rear end lies in the path of aprojecting pin, v, of the hammer, so arranged that just before the hammer reaches full-cock this pin will strike the rear end of the dog and drive it forward far enough to complete the turning of the cylinder. This projecting pin 22 may serve for the mainspring w to bear against. The retractor D has or may have a projecting point on its'forward end to enter recesses in the cylinder for lockin g the same in position.

Since with this automatic retraotor the chambers of the cylinder are cleared of the empty What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cartridge-shell retractor D, in combination with the hammer 0, arranged substantially as described, so as to automatically disengage itself from the hammer and return to position during the lifting of the hammer, for the purpose specified.

2. The automatic cartridge-shell retract); D, drawn back by the hammer and arran' gciii as herein described, so as to withdraw-theatritridge-shell'at or before the'time the-hammer reaches half-cock, and then be separated from the'hammer, leaving the latter free in rising from half to full cock, substantially as herein specified;

3. The cartridge-shell retractor D, provided with the projection 0 having inclined surfaces g i, in combination with the spring coupling pin or catch (1 in the hammer 0, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The combination of the cam-lever n and it's pawl l with the cartridge-shell retractor D,

so that the said retractor,while springing forward into position, moves the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

5. The dog s, arranged substantially as described, or its equivalent, in combination with the hammer, and operating so that the turning movement of the cylinder is made or com- 7 pleted each timeby the hammer just before it reaches -fullicock, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

Specification signed by me this 3d day of May, 1872.

WILLIAM GLEWS.

Witnesses:

- EDM. F. BROWN,

J. S. BROWN. 

